[maemo-developers] APT archive lockup (hildon-libs0 vs osso-af)

[From: Andrew Daviel]

Precis: "dpkg --force-conflicts -i hildon-libs.deb" screws apt-get


I have an N810 with OS2008, and wanted to install vncviewer.
I found it on repository.maemo.org/extras/bora but it would not install 
easily:

# apt-get install vncviewer
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
   vncviewer: Depends: hildon-libs0 (>= 0.14.11-1) but it is not going to 
be installed
E: Broken packages


# dpkg -i /media/mmc1/apt/vncviewer_0.6_armel.deb
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of vncviewer:
  vncviewer depends on hildon-libs0 (>= 0.14.11-1); however:
   Package hildon-libs0 is not installed.

# dpkg -i /media/mmc1/apt/hildon-libs0_0.14.11-1_armel.deb
dpkg: regarding .../hildon-libs0_0.14.11-1_armel.deb containing
  hildon-libs0:
  osso-af conflicts with hildon-libs0

# dpkg --force-conflicts -i hildon-libs0_0.14.11-1_armel.deb
dpkg: warning - ignoring conflict, may proceed anyway !

osso-af is a meta-package, and when the tablet has stripped out the 
docs, contains no actual files. I saw no particular problem in forcing 
hildon-libs0 in; I do similar things on RedHat regularly. When I had 
installed hildon-libs0, I could install vncviewer and it worked.

A while later I tried to install some other package. Now I get:

# apt-get install netcat
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
   osso-af: Conflicts: hildon-libs0 but 0.14.11-1 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or 
specify a solution).

# dpkg -s osso-af
Status: install ok installed
Version: 3.2007.46
# dpkg -s hildon-libs0
Status: install ok installed
Version: 0.14.11-1

I can install the new package with dpkg without any warnings:

# dpkg -i /media/mmc1/apt/netcat_1.10-32osso1_armel.deb
Setting up netcat (1.10-32osso1) ...


It looks like installing hildon-libs0 has screwed future use of apt-get, 
which is somewhat annoying.
As my host system is Fedora, not Debian, I normally use rpm/yum not 
dpkg/apt-get, and I don't have a manpage for apt-get (scratchbox includes 
one for dpkg, but not apt). (note to self; add
  MANPATH /scratchbox/users/andrew/targets/CHINOOK_ARMEL/usr/share/man
to /etc/man.config so "man dpkg" works on host)

Is there a way around this ?
Is there a better way of installing a Bora package such as vncviewer on 
Chinook ?


-- 
Andrew Daviel, TRIUMF, Canada